Rubik's Cube
by AmandaEchelon
Summary: Every once in a while, people step up they rise above themselves…sometimes they surprise you and sometimes they fall short. Wade wasn't willing to let her go, even if it meant doing things she'd hate him for. Natalya couldn't forget him if she tried, but even when you love someone, sometimes it's not enough. Wade/Natalya Justin/Kaitlyn
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **Rubik's Cube

**Rating: **T for now.

**Disclaimer: **I think the world would be chaos if I did own it, but we don't.

**A/N:** Let's just call this 'the muse that wouldn't leave.' Now let's just imagine that the whole Nexus thing went a little bit differently. Enjoy.

* * *

_Sometimes life has to get really ugly before it gets pretty._

Natalya told herself that over and over again every day hoping she'd believe it. So far she hadn't been able to convince herself but she pressed on because it was all she had to cling to as of late. Her whole world had been shattered only a month ago, but she held her head high hoping for better days to find her in this fog of uncertainty that loomed around her.

"You alright?" A familiar voice asked drawing her out of the jumbled thoughts in her mind. She looked up from her seat on the bench in the Hart Dynasty locker room and into the eyes of her uncle Bret Hart. He'd been keeping a close eye on her the past couple of weeks, and though she appreciated it, she missed the times when he saw her as confident and strong. "You seem out of it."

"I'm fine." She answered instantly, she found herself repeating that same line to everyone more frequently.

"Okay, just making sure."

She did her best not to snap and moved to get up, managing a fake smile as she got to her feet, she patted his leather clad forearm, a small gesture to let him know she meant it and turned to leave. She didn't even acknowledge Tyson or David as she passed them as she was exiting the room.

"Nat?"

She wouldn't look back. Looking back involved acknowledging that she was still upset over everything. Something she couldn't afford for her family to know. She needed to fake composure even if deep down she was falling apart at the seams.

Walking down the arena corridor, her eyes on the floor, she had no idea where to go in particular but stopped when she found a secluded enough area with nothing but equipment crates and dim lighting. Choosing one at random, she climbed up and positioned herself so her back was against the wall, one leg curled under the other that hung off the edge. She closed her eyes and let out a breath she'd been holding since she left Bret, Tyson, and David.

Tension was high around them at the moment no thanks to her, but what could she do? She couldn't erase what happened; she couldn't change the past, no matter how desperately she wanted to. She'd do anything to forget, but of course, something or rather someone always stood in the way of that.

"Well hey there Nata-Phat," a southern accent drawled close by.

Her eyes opened quickly at the familiar voice and traveled to the left where the fiery redhead Heath Slater and the charismatic South African Justin Gabriel were walking towards her. Hopping off the crate, Natalya prepared herself for whatever beating the Nexus members wanted to dish out. They both started laughing at her stance, Justin placing his palms up to face her signaling they meant no harm. His smiled beamed at her, a subtle amused look coating his features.

"Relax Nat," he teased, only making her tense up more. She placed her hands on hips and arched a brow at the duo she'd once considered genuine men.

"What do you want?" There was an edge to her tone, a way of letting them know she was not to be messed with. It only succeeded in making them chuckle.

"You know, just moseying around in dark corners waiting for the perfect time to strike," Heath laughed. Justin shot him a look before giving her an actual explanation.

"We just came to make sure this wasn't some trap the Hart Dynasty was setting up."

"After what you did to my family you better thank your lucky stars it isn't. We settle our beef in the ring. You know? Like real men." Hoping it touched a nerve she added a smirk so they knew she meant it.

The smile faded from Heath's face in obvious offense, but Justin just smirked back at her.

"Don't worry honey, its coming pretty soon, but like I said just making sure this isn't a trap because someone wants to speak to you."

Natalya's smirk fell, out of the shadows stepped the tall, brooding, and British NXT winner and leader of the Nexus. His black hair glistened under the light as he locked eyes with her, dismissing Heath and Justin with a wave, a huge intimidating smile spread on his face as he stopped a mere foot from her.

"Hello Nattie," he said with ease.

_Shit._ All the memories were flooding back.

* * *

_It was an odd feeling being so close to a person that made your heart soar. But Natalya simply reveled in the feeling or feelings that overtook her when she was wrapped in the arms of this man. _

_They were wrapped in each other's arms under the satin sheets of his hotel bed. Skin on skin, he gripped her hair forcing her head back and kissed her with all the passion he had left in him after spending the past two hours exploring each other's bodies intimately. Natalya moaned into the kiss, feeling his tongue graze her bottom lip for further access. Knowing they were both exhausted she denied him further progress by cupping his face in her hands and eased him back._

"_Don't over-exert yourself baby," she quipped. _

_Wade scoffed at her joke, but smiled as he rolled his eyes. "Is that a challenge?"_

"_Call it free advice," she smiled back snuggling closer to him._

_Silence greeted them for a few moments which prompted Natalya to shift her gaze up to him only to see a far off look on his face. Usually he would have responded with a witty comeback, but this time he offered none. _

"_What are you thinking?" She asked, trying not to let worry enter her tone. _

_Wade still didn't look at her, but he did respond. "My Raw debut."_

"_Everything will go great," relief washed over her._

"_I hope so," the far off look was still on his face causing her relief to waver._

"_What's wrong then?"_

_Finally, he looked at her, noting the sliver of fear cross her eyes. The confused energy she gave off was emanate, "Promise me that no matter what happens you'll stay by my side."_

"_What are you talking about?" She questioned, her heart aching slightly. Why, she didn't know._

"_Promise me Nattie," he said with conviction, trying to convince her. He didn't need to. She'd decided the moment she met him that she'd follow him anywhere. Whatever he was not telling her slowly started to eat away at her heart._

"_Always," just like that Wade was over her, sealing their lips in another fervent kiss. At that, she forgot everything he'd just said, deciding that was the best course of action. Life was finally good for her._

* * *

_Wade stalked up the ramp refusing to look back at the destruction he and the New Nexus had just caused. The ringside had been dismantled, along with every person surrounding it, and their pièce de résistance: John Cena, lying broken in the middle of it all._

_Exiting the curtain they arrived to a ghost town. Seemed that the crew had been frightened off by the actions of the group. Wade was pleased with this, smirking at the rest of the guys who were still hyped up by all the action that had just passed. He himself remained calm and collected, reminding himself this was only the beginning and they would have a tough challenge to face soon. _

"_Wooo, that was awesome," Heath Slater bellowed high-fiving Daniel Bryan. _

"_We definitely made an impact," agreed Darren Young._

_His debut made and the mission accomplished he urged the boys to follow him back to the locker room so they could change and begin strategizing for the next phase of their plan. He smiled as he reached the door, ready to plan and celebrate. Once he stepped inside his face fell. The room was empty, where was Natalya?_

"_Nat," he called. No return greeted him. "Nat!" He screamed again, looking all over like she would just appear. Finally he turned back to the door seeing the rest of the member's eye him carefully. "Where is she?"_

_None offered him an answer; they just stood there in the doorway gawking at his behavior. He needed to find her, shoving his way through his friends and began running down the hall shouting her name, ignoring the boys yelling after him._

_Searching frantically his heart pounded in his chest. The Divas locker room was empty, and even the Hart Dynasty was gone. He'd asked her before he left the locker room to stay put and they would return to the hotel together. He hadn't told her what was going to happen tonight but he didn't expect her to leave without a word. Finally, he tried the parking lot. Luck was on his side, he saw her blonde hair bouncing as she rushed toward her rental car._

"_Nat!" _

_She didn't look toward him, only focused on opening the trunk and placing her bags inside. Closing the lid quickly she moved to make her way to the driver's door when he was suddenly in front of her._

"_Nattie," he said calmly, reaching for her shoulders. He didn't have enough warning when her hand recoiled and she landed a hard slap on his cheek. His head whipped to the side and he brought a hand up to the stinging cheek as his eyes met hers._

"_How could you," she snapped pushing him, "How could you do that."_

"_Nat-"she pushed him again, "Nat calm down!"_

"_Why, tell me why?" Her eyes began to water and on natural instinct he reached out for her only to have his hands slapped away._

"_I can explain all this later when we get back to the hotel," he reasoned._

"_No! Now! I want to know now!" she commanded. "Why, why would you go out there and decimate everyone?"_

"_It's business sweetheart," he defended, "it was a statement that needed to be made. We were trying to-"_

"_No," she interrupted, "that wasn't a statement," she pointed to the arena, "that was carnage. That was an attack and on people who couldn't defend themselves."_

"_Sometimes things require a little more force than necessary," he replied, "this wasn't about my debut Nat. This was about retribution for how myself and the rest of the guys on NXT were treated. This was for anyone who's been treated the way we were."_

_Natalya scoffed at the defense, "You're delusional."_

_She clicked the key ring to unlock the door and opened it. Wade had other ideas and closed it swiftly. "No Nat I'm not," he stated confidently, "I'm angry, and upset, and I'm trying to get retribution not just for myself but for my friends as well."_

_Shaking her head, Natalya crossed her arms over her chest and looked away. She couldn't believe what he had done. Watching everything unfold backstage she had debated going out there to try and stop him but remained motionless in their locker room backstage. _

_Wade reached out lifting her chin forcing her eyes to gaze up at him. So handsome and strong, he'd proven he was lethal tonight and the idea made her inwardly cringe. "Join us."_

_Her eyes blinked and her head shook, his hand falling at the action. "What?"_

"_Join us," he repeated, "join the Nexus and together you and I can conquer the WWE one week at a time." _

"_Wade-"_

"_Join us Natalya, join me."_

_Conflicted with her feelings for him and the images of what had just happened playing over in her head she took a shaky breath and opened the car door. Sliding in quickly she shut it hitting the lock button knowing he would try and open the door. _

"_Nat," he breathed pulling at the door, surprise written on his face when he realized she'd locked it. _

"_Nat!" She started the car, bringing the engine to life, she refused to look at him and put the gear shift into drive. "Nattie!"_

_Tears began to roll down her face as she drove away._

* * *

"Hello Nattie."

A month had gone by, and they were still attacking other WWE superstars, more recently they had attacked David and Tyson. Wade hadn't tried to contact her, which left her to wonder if he ever felt anything for her at all. But now here he was, right in front of her, after a month without a word and here she was falling apart all over again.

"What's wrong sweetheart," he drawled in that sexy British accent, damn him, "Cat got your tongue?"

Inside she was fuming and wanted to slap the taste out of his mouth once again. Her breath grew ragged as she stared at him. She didn't say a word so he pressed on, taking a moment to appreciate her form. His gaze wandered over her figure from head to toe, his Nattie, once filled with fire in the ring and between the sheets. He'd watched her over the past month noticing she seemed off in the ring and backstage as well. Of course he followed her, sheltering himself in dark corners waiting for the perfect moment to talk to her.

"You're looking lovely," he commented, biting his lower lip when his gaze traveled to her chest.

She promptly crossed her arms when she saw the action and gathered her courage. "What do you want?"

Wade chuckled at her response, still his little spitfire. "I want the same thing I wanted the last time I saw you."

It was said with such amusement Natalya couldn't help but scoff, "In case you forgot the answer is no."

"You didn't give me an answer then," he objected.

"It would've been no then, and it's still a no now."

"Nattie," he said softly, his hand rising to rest the back against her cheek, "think of all this could do for you. You'd be the most feared woman in the entire WWE. Everyone would respect you-"

She smacked his hand away from her face, "I will not compromise everything I believe in for power."

With that she turned to leave only to have him grab her arm and pull her back to him so she was in his arms facing him. The close proximity coupled with the swift movement caused her to gasp. It had been so long since she was this close to him. She rested her hands on his chest; his own grasping her hips, squeezing "What about love?"

The seriousness in his tone caused her eyes to widen, "What?"

He smirked at her surprise, bringing a hand up from her hip to touch a pink strand of her hair. "I still love you Nattie, that hasn't changed."

"You could've fooled me when you attacked my family."

"They interfered when we were after John Cena, all they had to do was stay in the back."

"John is their friend," she reminded him.

"I suggest they get better friend then, but you're avoiding the point here," he said steering the conversation back to where he wanted it.

"You ignored me for a month," she snapped, trying to keep him distracted, knowing that she wasn't sure if she had the strength to say no.

"Irrelevant," he leaned forward pressing his forehead to hers. He invaded all of her senses with that. The musky smell he still gave off, his voice still music to her hears, and the feel of his skin on hers made her blush remembering that used to be a lot closer than this, with far less clothes.

"Join me Nattie, join the Nexus."

He was like subliminal messaging, trying to conform her so she would comply and go willingly. He was so confident that she was about to cave. He just needed to motivate her a little more, so he lowered his lips until they were a breath away.

"Hey!"

In surprise at the interruption Wade looked up to see Tyson Kidd and David Hart Smith running their direction. He mentally cursed himself, the brooding look returning to his face as he released Natalya and glared at the two superstars.

Hearing the commotion the rest of Nexus emerged from the shadows. Natalya wondered if they had been watching the whole scene play out, which made her temper flare a little as she backed away towards the duo, her eyes never leaving his. She held her arms out behind her, stopping David and Tyson from progressing further.

Wade smirked at her protectiveness over the two, still putting the safety of others before herself. He shook his head and turned to the group that flanked him, "Nothing to worry about boys, let's go."

They chuckled and nodded showing no fear at the trio in front of them and stalked back into the dark corridor. Before Wade joined them he looked back to exchange glances with the men behind her before returning to her gaze. "Think about what I said darling."

With that he turned to fade into darkness himself.

Natalya sighed lowering her arms and turned back to her friends that interrupted the closeness with her former lover. "I thought you were done with him," Tyson questioned.

"Don't worry," she replied, they began to leave with shaking heads apparently unwilling to let her finish the statement she'd repeated over and over to them the past few weeks when they brought up the subject of Wade Barrett. Looking back over her shoulder as they walked away she continued, "I am."

She walked away at that with him watching her, just like he had been doing everytime he saw her for a month.

"What happened to staying by my side?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Title:** Rubik's Cube

**Rating: **T for now.

**Disclaimer:** The only thing I own is what's inside my head.

**A/N: **Chapter 2 just for you!

* * *

People always thought of Wade Barrett as unpredictable and in many aspects they would be right. If his debut was any indication of the out-of-left-field tactics that ran through his mind then you'd have to wonder how Wade Barrett dealt with personal relationships. The Capetown Werewolf's friendship for example, he knew Justin was never sure whether or not Wade would help him up from a fall or punch him in the face. If he would be there when he needed him or stab him in the back.

In all honestly, Wade didn't know himself, but so far Justin didn't give him any indication that he was weak or capable of betrayal and that suited him just fine. The other members of Nexus, not so much, he trusted them from a distance but never showed them his back. They were men hungry for power after all and that always led to outlandish behavior. Justin wasn't hungry for power. He was hungry for attention, a way to get his name out there.

Probably why Wade trusted him more than the others was because Justin was capable of human emotion. You knew a good natured man existed when he was in love and whether Justin wanted to admit it or not, he was.

Wade watched him pining after a blonde woman with black under-tones in her hair for weeks. She had recently made friends with Natalya, which was the only reason Wade knew of her existence, and as of late, when pursuing the Canadian in dark corners he'd found Justin there ahead of him a couple of times. It was amusing to say the least but he needed Justin focused on tonight and what had been planned, so he asked the South Africa native to take a walk with him around the arena.

"What exactly is this all about Wade?" he questioned, skeptical of why they needed to walk about in the dark shadows of the arena.

"You'll see in a moment," Wade grinned approaching the final corner before holding out an arm to stop Justin from moving further. Peeking around he spied just the person he wanted to see before he spoke to Justin in a hushed tone.

"You ever been in love?"

The question caught the high-flyer so off guard all he could do what give the Nexus leader and incredulous look. Wade rolled his eyes; obviously Justin needed him to spell it out for him, so he placed a finger in front of his lips to warn him to be quiet then pointed around the corner for him to look. His eyes went wide when he peered around the corner and saw the blonde he'd been admiring from afar for the past month. She was fiddling with her hair as usual when he saw her looking in a mirror. Always trying to make sure everything was perfectly placed, a quality he admired about her but would never let her know she didn't have to worry about such a thing.

Smiling to herself, unaware of their presence, she placed one more curl behind her shoulders and walked away. This left Justin admiring the way her hips swayed as she sauntered off, but his mind and gaze wandered back to a grinning Wade. His face turned to sheer skepticism as he looked at his leader.

"Just what the hell are you implying?" He spat the question on the verge of anger. He wasn't sure if this was a test of loyalty or something so he needed to remain on his toes.

Wade waved off his anger and shook his head. "I'm not asking you as a Nexus member. I'm asking you as your friend."

Justin remained unsure, furrowing his brows his mouth gaped at Wade's referral to him as his 'friend.' He liked Wade's determination, his charismatic demeanor, but more than all of that he respected him as the winner of NXT and his ability to strategize and come up with the brilliant plan of forming the Nexus not only for his benefit but for the other rookies as well.

Seeing Justin's struggle in contemplating his question he decided to press on. "I've seen the way you look at her. I've caught you more often than not when I creep through the shadows to catch a glimpse of Natalya."

"I wasn't-"Wade held a hand to silence him.

"Don't feign ignorance with me Justin. You're better than that, plus I don't blame you."

"You don't?" He arched a brow suspiciously.

"Of course not, you knew my relationship with her better than the rest," indicating the other members, and in truth he did. He watched Wade nearly fall apart when Natalya drove away that night. He wouldn't speak to anyone about it, merely continued to strategize their attacks on the Raw roster. He'd been there when Natalya and he first met and saw their relationship develop over time while on NXT.

"So what do you know about her?"

Shaking his head of the memories of the former couple Justin shrugged, "Her names Kaitlyn. She's from Houston, Texas. I met her once through her best friend AJ from FCW. She used to be a fitness model and she's still learning her craft when it comes to in-ring ability but she's not so unfortunate when it comes to spouting off at the mouth."

One other thing Wade appreciated about Justin, his ability to gather intel on anyone. "Nor in looks either I imagine," glancing back at where Kaitlyn previously stood before continuing, "So what are your plans?"

"What do you mean?"

Looking back to the South African in slight shock he elaborated, "Well, are you going to actually say two words to her or just stalk her?"

"I'm not stalking her," he said defensively.

Peering down at the black-haired man, a smirk coming to settle on his features, he remained at a loss for words. Only for the moment though, "Do you want her to join us?"

"No," he said immediately shaking his head, "I don't want this for her." Wade nodded at that in understanding before Justin added, "and you shouldn't want this for _her_."

He couldn't help but glare at that statement. It was his silent way of telling anyone who brought her up not to go there, but Justin always found a way to weasel it into conversation, "I know you loved her-"

"Love!" he interjected forcefully. He would never use that verb in past tense when it came to her.

"But what you plan on doing…you can't do this to her. It will destroy her."

"She'll find a way to forgive me," he argued, "I know she still loves me."

"Maybe," Justin agreed, "but maybe it's best that you let her go."

In the next moment he found himself slammed against the wall with Wade's forearm over his throat. Sputtering what little air remained he watched as the British man's features darkened. He knew better but he didn't care. He would always voice his opinion when it came to the blonde Canadian Wade cared for.

Bringing his face a mere inch from Justin's, he punctuated every word "I'll. Never. Let. Her. Go."

Justin coughed as Wade released him and collapsed to the floor clutching his throat and glaring daggers at his 'friend' as he walked back to their locker room. He needed to make Wade see reason but once again failed. When he first informed him of his plans for Natalya he immediately objected to the idea and ever since he'd earned a few bruises. That had been his last chance. Tonight shit would hit the fan.

A frightened gasp drew his attention away from Wade's retreating form and looking back he saw Kaitlyn had returned to retrieve something she'd left behind on the crate. His eyes widened at her scared gaze and he slowly got to his feet never letting his eyes leave hers. She stared at him cautiously knowing the reputation he'd gained since aligning himself with the dangerous group.

"Justin," she breathed and took a daring step toward him.

He ran refusing to look back as she called after him.

* * *

When Tyson Kidd found out Natalya, his childhood friend, was in a relationship with Wade Barrett he was immediately concerned. The way he'd look at her when they would come by and watch NXT just didn't sit well with him. David and Bret told him what Natalya did was her business and hers alone, but he just couldn't shake the feeling that Wade had something up his sleeve. Clearly he'd been right. Barrett was nothing but a bad seed and Natalya had found that out the hard way a month ago.

He'd hoped and prayed she'd get over this as soon as the attack occurred. He didn't understand it. A month had passed since she left him.

She. Left. Him.

And still…she couldn't get over it. He'd hear her sob to herself sometimes, probably reminiscing on happier times with the Brit, but she'd never talk about it when he confronted her. She barely talked to him or the others period since it ended.

_What made Wade Barrett so fucking special?_ He thought to himself. He was soon jolted from his thoughts as David Hart Smith cleared his throat.

"You're doing it again," he commented.

Tyson rolled his eyes at his tag team partner and lifelong friend, "Doing what?"

"You get this angry as fuck look on your face when you're thinking about him and it's creepy as shit so knock it off."

Tyson ignored him, "Shut up."

"Look," he turned to him once he finished taping his wrists, "I know you harbor a bit of jealousy and resentment toward him-"

Tyson scoffed, "I'm not _jealous_," he spat the interruption.

"But," he continued, "sooner or later you're going to have to accept the fact that she chose him instead of you. She will always choose him."

"It's not fair man," he scowled, "we've known each other since we were born. I've been there with her through everything. School, the dungeon," he trailed off, knowing he could think of a million things and moments they'd shared but in the end…her heart belonged to someone else.

"Nothing in life is fair Tyson," he offered, trying to comfort him a least a little, "maybe one day she will see you as the man she truly deserves. Maybe not. But if you're constantly holding _him_ over her head…that's all she'll think about."

"So what do I do?"

"Give it time," he shrugged, "That's all we really can do. She'll get over him eventually, what else could he do to try and win her back?"

* * *

"So he just took off?"

Kaitlyn nodded looking at Natalya confused by her old…acquaintances actions. "I don't know why he'd just run away from me. I haven't seen him since he left FCW."

"Maybe he was afraid you'd give away his position," the blonde offered trying to help her friend make sense of the moment. The men were known for keeping themselves discrete and away from the other superstars.

"To who," the model replied, "We were alone in the back corridor of the arena. The only person who knew I would be there was you. Plus, he looked really upset."

The Canadian could only shake her head. Thinking back, Justin Gabriel had always been an oddball to her. Always polite, nice, and respectable…when Wade introduced them for the first time she found him to be charming. It surprised her that he was a part of Nexus…then again so was her ex-boyfriend.

"I don't know Kait," she shrugged, "Nothing they do makes sense."

She knew Natalya was still struggling with the whole thing. She knew she still had feelings for Wade. Not that she'd ever admit that, but Kaitlyn wasn't a fool. Still, she didn't know anyone here well enough besides the third generation superstar. Therefore it only made sense to talk to her about the South African member of Nexus.

"Look…why don't we go back to the locker room and check on Tyson and David? They've got a match right?" She asked, hoping it would take her mind off of the unpleasantness of things.

Natalya nodded and offered her a small smile. Kaitlyn wrapped an arm around her shoulder as they began their journey, a small effort of comfort that she could offer to her silent friend. She knew words weren't enough when it came to her ex.

Rounding the last bend the girls stopped dead in their tracks. Heath Slater was standing outside the Hart Dynasty locker room with his back resting against the door. Natalya realized he was guarding it, but for what she didn't know. Hearing Kaitlyn emit a gasp the red head glanced in their direction and instantly stood straight.

"Kaitlyn, run." Natalya commanded.

"But-"the Texas native back away slowly.

"Run!" She screamed.

Natalya didn't bother to look back to her friend as she launched herself forward towards the scrawny Nexus member. Heath kept his feet firmly planted ready to stop her. He didn't expect her to shove him with all her might causing him to stumble. Using the distraction to her advantage she wasted no time and twisted the door handle to burst into the locker room.

The first thing she became aware of was Tyson and David sprawled on the floor groaning in pain. David was holding his head and Tyson was clutching at his ribs. She would have normally run straight to their sides to offer aid but she was frozen on the spot when she saw the rest of Nexus standing over them. Her eyes immediately sought the bare-knuckle brawler's, she would regret it when their gazes locked and she was reduced to gasping breaths as she tried to keep the tears at bay.

In the next moment, Heath Slater took a hold of her by the elbows from behind. She didn't offer resistance when he held her arms in place; her body just shook in his hands.

Wade stepped forward confidently, a crooked smile taking residence on his face and she quickly ducked her head. He'd have none of that however and raised her chin with a single finger.

The tears finally fell when their eyes reconnected. She thought she had none left to cry after the last month…after everything. She was wrong.

She could hear Tyson moan in pain on the floor, reaching for Wade's boot, "Don't you touch her."

He had no time to brace himself as Wade hitched his foot backwards to slam into his forehead. He did it all without ever removing his eyes from hers or his body from her personal space.

"Please," she gasped hearing her friends scream at the contact.

He let out a low chuckle at her plea. Her relationship with Tyson had always been the one thing to get under his skin. He knew the man had feelings for her even if she denied knowledge of it. He'd stare at her the same way he did. He'd do anything for her just the same that he would. Only he was sure Tyson would never go this far.

"You know what you have to say to make all this go away."

She could only whimper.

"Say it Natalya," he whispered desperately, "say you'll become a part of this."

He gestured behind to the other five members. She glanced at each of them and the stern looks they held. Michael Tarver. Skip Sheffield. Daniel Bryan. Darren Young. And lastly, Justin Gabriel, the only one she thought had morals and the only one she knew her friend Kaitlyn held any type of feelings for.

"Release her," Wade commanded Heath and released her chin, albeit reluctantly. Justin gave her a curt nod, a silent plea that she should agree.

"It won't change anything," she reasoned, "You'll still be the enemy of every superstar in the locker room-"

"But I'll have you," he interrupted, "We can be together again. Just say yes and we can move forward…together."

"Never!" She screamed.

A deafening silence filled the room and Wade's body began to shake in anger. He could hear the rest of Nexus mumbling behind him and resisted the urge to slap them all. Instead he held up a fist at shoulder level signaling them to zit it. He had to calm himself; he'd never wanted to slap Natalya before and kiss her at the same time.

"I realize this is a lot to take in at the moment," he said evenly, trying to control his temper, "so I'm giving you a week to rethink your answer."

"It won't change," she snapped.

"You forget I know you better than you know yourself and you've always been indecisive _Nattie_," she cringed at the nickname he loved to call her when they were close.

"Not about this."

"One week," he repeated holding up a finger like a parent scolding their child, "one week to change your mind…and you know there are ways I can do that." He took a step to move around her nodding his head so the others would follow his leaving. One by one they exited the room like soldiers following their general into battle.

Justin lingered for a moment, staring at Natalya's back. His shoulders slumped at what he'd done to the woman he once counted as a close friend. He lost that when he joined Wade in his mission and he'd be lying if he said he didn't miss it.

"I'm sorry Natalya," he said with heartbreaking honesty, "I never wished this on you but…he loves you too much."

Natalya fell to her knees and cried as she gazed at the two men lying broken on the floor.

With that he turned to go, glancing around the hallway a moment he noticed Kaitlyn peeking around the corner at their retreating backs. He stared at her beautiful face for a few moments before hanging his head and following behind the others.


	3. Chapter 3

**Title: **Rubik's Cube

**Rating:** T for now.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any characters, companies, etc. They belong to the WWE and Vincent Kennedy McMahon. (Should I ever have the privilege though; I would be a billionaire instead of a millionaire like him.)

**A/N: **I've bogged myself down with all the story ideas moving at warp-speed in my head that I'm just super excited I could sit down and write this. I hope everyone is enjoying this pairing as much as I do. Since there aren't that many Wade/Natalya fics on this site I'm grateful for those who appreciate this work. If you do know of any that I'm clearly not aware of please let me know through PM or in a review. Thank you and enjoy!

* * *

Natalya released a heavy sigh as Kaitlyn paced in front of her. There was no getting rid of the jumbled thoughts running around inside her head while she sat perched on a bench in her locker room for the evening. She rested her elbows on her knees and rubbed her palms together in agitation. A match had been scheduled for her for later on that night, and though that should've been her main concern; it wasn't.

She was still reeling from the events of the previous week. Wade had demanded she rethink her answer of refusal to join Nexus as if she would change her mind. Her decision was made the very first time he proposed the idea and she refused to go back on her word. Still, she couldn't shake off the anxiety. The images of a damaged Tyson and David lying there on the ground were plaguing her; but more than that, it was the pain she felt deep down knowing Wade had orchestrated the attack to get to her.

This was her fault. Though both men assured her throughout the week it wasn't, it didn't ease her mind in the least and she continued to blame herself.

"I don't think you should do this."

"Do what?" She asked softly hearing the concern in the new diva's voice.

"Go out there," Kaitlyn said. "I don't think it's a good idea. What if something happens?"

Slowly, she focused her gaze on the diva standing in front of her. "It's my job. I have to compete." Her eyes returned to the ground hoping that signaled the end of the conversation.

"I know that. But wouldn't it be the perfect time for them to trying something."

"Wade knows better than to interrupt _my_ matches." She scowled inwardly recalling a haunting memory of his smug response at a time when things were pleasant between the two of them.

"_I could only imagine the adorable frustrated look on your face if I went out there. It would just be so much fun to distract you."_

She shook her head of the recollection in time to hear Kailtyn's response.

"Maybe. But-"

"But nothing," she interjected abruptly with a feral growl as she stood. "I'm not going to spend my time looking over my shoulder in fear just because he and his cronies can't get past their male egos and take no for an answer. This whole situation is bullshit. So…" She stopped to turn and grab her ring gear jacket. "I'm going to go out there and kick whatever bitch's ass they've handed to me on a silver platter because now I'm pissed off."

"Natalya-," Kaitlyn called after her. The only response was the slamming door she'd stormed out of.

Defeated, she claimed the seat her friend had occupied only moments ago and exhaled a shaky breath. Poor Natalya, still in love with young British superstar and left hopelessly heartbroken at his recent actions. She was worried for her Canadian friend and the possibilities that could result in her rejecting the Nexus' proposal once again. No good could come of it that was for certain.

A bad feeling had loomed over her since she was informed of the events that unfolded last week with the attack in the locker room. It seemed they were targeting those that Natalya cared for and though she was concerned, she knew David and Tyson could hold their own and defend themselves. They'd never forgive themselves if Natalya handed herself over to the Nexus knowing it was to keep them safe. So she prayed consistently that it wouldn't come to that and all the drama would end so the blonde could move on.

A loud knock disrupted her thoughts and her eyes found the door as it opened. She ceased to breathe the moment the visitors entered the room.

Michael Tarver looked at her with menacing eyes while Daniel Bryan's gaze seemed what she could only describe as remorseful. She felt faint as her mind went blank with the twosome staring at her as if she were prey they were going to capture.

"Sorry sweetheart," Bryan spoke with a mixture of guilt and obligation, "It's just business."

The intimidating masked man released a frightening laugh causing Daniel to shoot him a glare for a moment. Tarver regarded the look and refocused his attention on the blonde-brunette girl sitting in front of them.

With that he nodded his head at the diva, prompting Tarver to advance forward slowly; ready to attack at any moment if she got spooked and decided to make a run for it.

She didn't. She was frozen right on the spot wondering if she could forgive herself if Natalya joined the Nexus to keep her from their clutches.

* * *

Tugging at the ropes, she prepped herself while waiting for her opponent to emerge from the curtain so she could engage in a vicious assault. She'd regret her actions later and apologize to whatever diva was on the receiving end, but for now all Natalya could see was red. To make matters worse, her anger was intensifying with each passing second as she waited rather impatiently.

The audience was getting restless as well. It wasn't often that they saw a diva competing anymore and for Natalya to give them some entertainment tonight on behalf of the female population of the WWE they were rather elated. She could hear Jerry Lawler and Michael Cole behind her as she stretched, questioning her tardy opponent.

To say she was frustrated was an understatement. All she could hear were the words the tall Brit spoke last week.

"_We can be together again."_

"_Say it Natalya," he whispered desperately, "say you'll become a part of this."_

"_You forget I know you better than you know yourself."_

"_One week to change your mind…and you know there are ways I can do that."_

"_Nattie."_

She restrained herself from releasing a scream. The memories hurt to think about. They'd been tearing her mind apart all week long much like other past events she shared with him hurt for the past month. She would have given anything to make his voice vanish from her thoughts.

Suddenly she became aware of the chorus of boos emulating from the WWE Universe as 'We Are One' echoed about the arena.

In that moment, she'd have given anything to make his presence vanish from her sight.

Wade always had a confident air about him that she enjoyed when she first saw him exit the curtain on NXT. He exuded superiority and hint of cockiness, but he'd earned the right when he competed and literally fought in Europe. That same dominance showed when he emerged from the back, a microphone clutched in his hand, and stood atop the steel stage for a moment watching her in the ring.

She kept her features stoic, but inside she became a mess all over again. Try as she might to cover her heart and the feelings that beat frantically from it, she couldn't help but to start gasping for air and place her hand on her hips as he walked down the ramp alone. In a group he wasn't that hard to face. Alone, that was an entirely different story. Even with the audience, Jerry and Cole, and various ring attendants present she saw nothing but Wade Barrett and it frightened her to death.

Before she knew it he reached the end of the runway and brought the microphone to his lips to speak while holding one hand up in mock surrender as he climbed the steel steps.

"Natalya…Natalya…Natalya," everyone around her was baffled as he stepped through the ropes. They didn't know her history with the former brawler and being a member of Nexus didn't help his reputation as the audience looked on with slight fear that he would attack the niece of Bret 'The Hitman' Hart.

Keeping his gaze and attention fully on her, he ignored the crowd and continued, "You and I have some unfinished business to attend to, so I'm afraid you got all pretty to fight for nothing darling, my apologies."

She watched as he eyed her body, clad in ring gear, with appreciation up and down which made her a little sick inside. She didn't have a microphone and wouldn't reach for one. This was person. The crowd could only read her lips as she spoke, "We have nothing."

She stated it with a conviction she was surprised she still held.

"You see that's where you're wrong," he grinned, "Last week I asked you to rethink your decision in regards to my proposition."

The fans looked on in bewilderment at his statement. "I want you to become a part of the Nexus." A nearly synchronized gasp emerged from the audience as they began to negatively applaud their displeasure.

"So…what's it going to b-"

"No," she shouted. Her rejection showed; causing the audience to cheer at her defiance. "No…no…no…no…and no." She repeated the answer over and over nearly taking the breath out of her.

Wade was silent as he looked at her heatedly. He rolled his eyes, looking to the ceiling and around the arena as he tried to control his annoyance. She couldn't tell if he was playing a damn part or not but she didn't care.

Massaging one side of his temple, he hesitated a moment in bringing the microphone back up to his mouth to speak. "I don't want to do this Nattie," she resisted the urge to slap him, "don't make me do this. Just accept the offer and join us."

She didn't know what he was talking about and she didn't care, "Fuck no!"

The universe buzzed with excitement at her bravery, as well as her profanity. Management would be pissed but Wade was making his personal. The pause weighed heavily on her as he remained silent for a beat.

"Have it your way then darling," he turned on his heal and looked to the ramp, "Nexus!"

She followed his gaze to the stage as they emerged with their captives. Tyson and David. A hand flew to her mouth in horror. She tried to rush past the NXT winner to run to her friends but felt Wade grasp her arm to stop her. She looked to him dazed. "Don't," she commanded, "Please don't."

"You know what you have to say."

"No," she spat, surprised she kept the tears inside.

Wade nodded to his stable and she looked back in time to see them frantically beating the tag team. Punches and kicks flew, and before she knew it they were down clutching at their injured body parts. Soon the terrible group was dragging them to the end of the ramp and shoved them into the surrounding barriers.

"Stop! Stop it!" She screamed. They continued to ignore her and went on with the assault. She turned to scream at Wade. "Stop this. Please stop this Wade."

She didn't care if she looked weak in front of him anymore. She had to make his see reason. "Wade, please!"

He kept repeating to himself that this was for the best. As Skip close lined Tyson, Wade smirked a little, hoping she wouldn't notice. He held a hand up signaling them to cease the attack. "You know what you have to do."

"I can't," she looked between the two men she considered the closest she had to family left and the man she loved. "Please," she tried to plead to his good nature that she knew he still possessed, "Please don't make me do this."

The look he held seemed haunted, as though he might be regretting his actions. He loved her. He needed her with him. He promised he'd never hurt her. He couldn't hurt her like this…but he wasn't strong enough to let her go.

"Tarver. Bryan." There was hint of hesitation in his voice as he said their names. Her eyebrows knitted together in confusion as she looked at the group outside of the ring and finally noticed that the two were missing. She also noticed that Skip, Darren, David, and Justin were equally as confused as she was.

Her gaze traveled up the ramp when they descended. She wasn't prepared for the sight of Tarver with his hand clutching Kaitlyn's hair. Both hands flew to her mouth as she watched her friend struggle in his grasp.

"Hey!" A voice she recognized as Justin's caused her gaze to shift for a moment and looked to the South African. He was glaring at Wade in anger below the ring, shouting "What are you doing? This wasn't part of the plan! Let her go!"

Natalya regarded him with an incredulous facial expression at the alarm in his voice. "Shut up," Wade shouted back. She heard Justin punch the apron as he continued to scream at his leader. His pleas fell on deaf ears however.

"Don't hurt her," she begged once again turning to Wade and grasped his arm and began to tug. He remained in place as she begged and pulled at his arm to make him see reason.

"Say it."

Still clutching his arm, she stopped her actions and remained silent. Her eyes continued to plead with him. Silently telling him he didn't want to do this. He didn't want to hurt another woman just because she refused.

At her pause, he looked to Tarver and nodded. Following his gaze she took in Tarver's nod of understanding back to his leader and lifted Kaitlyn in preparation for his fierce finisher, Tarver's Lightening. Kaitlyn squirmed and Natalya swore she could hear her screams from her spot in the ring. Justin sped past the others, who remained by the apron, and up the ramp. Daniel Bryan stepped in front of him to stop his advance. They began to argue loudly as Justin pointed behind him at the woman Tarver held and how this wasn't right.

Natalya hung her head in defeat. Tyson, David, and Kaitlyn were all caught in this mess because of her and there was no way of stopping it. No way but…

She looked back to Wade with one more silent plea looming behind her eyes. The tears were ready to fall. This time, he inclined his head until it was merely a few inches from hers.

"Say it," he brought the microphone down and held it to her lips. Everyone looked to her in shock and awe. The only way to save everyone was for her to sacrifice herself. To sacrifice everything she believed in and held dear. Either way, she lost. She took one last look to the lights above and reminisced for a beat of when times were better. Would she find better days again?

Her gaze returned to the mic hovering in front of her lips. "Yes."

Instantly, as the equipment dropped to the mat with a thud, Wade grabbed her face between his palms and firmly kissed her.

It was brief, but the feel of them beneath his reminded him that this was for the best. He smiled as he released her and she fell to her knees. He leaned against the ropes and signaled for his members to come into the ring and put Tyson on his shoulders. She didn't have the strength to pay attention to her surroundings.

Justin remained at the top of the stage and tried to comfort Kaitlyn as she clutched her head. Tarver and Bryan had joined the team in the ring and Wade let out the fierce British yell signaling for the end and delivered a perfect Wasteland to Tyson.

She looked to her fallen friend and back to the stable standing over him with smiles and intimidating looks coating their features.

She was now a member of Nexus.

The tears flowed freely down her face and once again Natalya Neidhart cried.


End file.
